Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
You think I'm no good, I know I've been bad
Took you to a place, now you can't get back
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad

Walked together down a dead end street
We were mixing the bitter with the sweet
I don't try to figure out what we might of had
Just two shots of happy, one shot of sad

I'm just a singer, some say a sinner
Rolling the dice, not always a winner
You say I've been lucky, well I've made my own
Not part of the crowd, but not feeling alone

Under pressure, but not bent out of shape
Surrounded, we always found an escape
You drove me to drink, but hey that's not all bad
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad

Guess I've been greedy, all of my life
Greedy with my children, my lovers, my wife
Greedy for the good things as well as the bad
Two shots of happy, one shot, one shot of sad

Maybe it's just talk, saloon singing
The chairs are all stacked, the swinging's stopped swinging
You say I hurt you, you put the finger on yourself
Then after you did it, you came crying for my help

Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
I'm not complaining, baby I'm glad
You call it a compromise, well what's that
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad

Two shots of happy, one shot of sad


Lyrics submitted by Prime_Knight

Two Shots Of Happy, One Shot Of Sad Lyrics as written by David Paul Hewson David Evans

Lyrics © UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUBLISHING,

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Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad song meanings
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    Song Fact

    Written in 1992 by Bono & The Edge of U2 for Frank Sinatra. Sinatra passed away before having a chance to record it. U2 would include their version of Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad as a b-side to the single If God Would Send His Angels from their Pop album.

    truenorth1968on December 23, 2014   Link

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